Frédérique Constant Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture automatic blue dial steel bracelet 41 mm

High-end watchmaking by Frédérique Constant

With the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture FC-975BL4NH6B, Frédérique Constant has created the most accomplished watch in its history. In keeping with the Geneva-based Maison's tradition, this model is not simply a technical demonstration: it is a statement of values. At a time when grand complications have become objects of speculation or static collectors' items, the Swiss brand, true to its philosophy of “accessible luxury,” has chosen a different path: offering a watch with ultra-prestigious complications (tourbillon and perpetual calendar) at a radically disruptive price, in an elegant and contemporary design intended for everyday wear.

Unveiled in 2023 to mark the opening of the Citizen Group boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York, this limited edition of 88 pieces celebrates not only the brand's 35th anniversary, but also its commitment to pragmatic innovation: doing better, without doing more. This is a rare, if not unique, strategy in this range of complications.

A dial designed for readability

Unlike many tourbillon watches, where the opening takes center stage, the FC-975BL4NH6B opts for a balanced, functional, almost discreet aesthetic. Its deep blue, subtly matte dial is decorated with the characteristic longitude and latitude lines of the Highlife collection, engraved in relief. It features four displays:

• The month and leap year at 12 o'clock,
• The date at 3 o'clock,
• The day at 9 o'clock,
• And, of course, at 6 o'clock, a circular opening revealing the tourbillon, which also serves as a small seconds display with its elegantly designed asymmetrical cage.

The whole design exudes clarity, without any excess. The dauphine hands and applied hour markers are treated with Super-LumiNova to ensure perfect readability, day and night. Nothing is superfluous, and everything seems to have been placed with the aim of making this watch not only beautiful, but also perfectly usable on a daily basis.

An integrated double complication manufacture caliber

At the heart of this exceptional timepiece beats the FC-975 automatic caliber, a movement entirely designed, developed, and assembled in Frédérique Constant's Geneva workshops. It combines two of the most noble complications in traditional watchmaking: the tourbillon and the perpetual calendar.

The tourbillon, visible at 6 o'clock, acts as a precision regulator by compensating for the effects of gravity on the regulating organ. Its asymmetrical, refined and contemporary cage offers a beautiful view of the mechanics in motion. A unique aesthetic and functional feature, the tourbillon incorporates a small seconds display at 6 o'clock, ensuring constant and discreet animation of the dial.

The perpetual calendar displays the day (9 o'clock), date (3 o'clock), month and leap year (12 o'clock). Unlike simple calendars that require frequent adjustments, this system is capable of automatically understanding the variable length of months, including leap years until 2100. Adjustments are made using discreet correctors integrated into the case middle for precise, elegant and smooth operation.

The FC-975 caliber beats at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offers a power reserve of 38 hours. It consists of 188 components and 33 rubies, demonstrating a beautiful mechanical density in the service of a masterful complication.

Visible through the sapphire case back, this in-house movement stands out for the quality of its high-end industrial finishes: circular Côtes de Genève on the bridges, circular graining on the mainplate, blued screws and, above all, a gold oscillating weight, vertically brushed and subtly openworked to reveal the lower bridges. The result is refined, balanced and attractive, matching the ambitions of this piece: to offer visible, understandable and accessible fine watchmaking.

A versatile, water-resistant and perfectly proportioned case

Another big surprise is the case. Made of polished and satin-finished stainless steel, it adopts the tonneau shape of the Highlife line, with a diameter of 41 mm and a modest thickness of 12.65 mm, which is very reasonable given the complications on board.

The overall effect is elegant and comfortable, perfectly suited to everyday wear – especially since it is water-resistant to 100 meters, a rarity for a perpetual calendar tourbillon watch.

This understated, sporty and refined design allows the watch to change its look depending on the strap chosen:

• the 3-link steel bracelet, for an urban and versatile look,
• the blue rubber strap for a more dynamic style,
• or the alligator-style leather strap, ideal for formal occasions.

All are interchangeable thanks to a quick, tool-free system, enhancing the aesthetic versatility of this timepiece.

The art of defying the standards of fine watchmaking

Priced at around €27,000, the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is positioned where no other traditional watchmaker dares to go. It does not claim to rival Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet in terms of prestige, but it offers those who dream of grand complications a credible, coherent and technically uncompromising entry point.

It is a collector's watch for everyday wear, a gateway to the world of exceptional timepieces, designed not to be locked away in a safe, but to be worn, understood, and admired.